Warren goes 3-0

Warren Blue Devils Lauren Chibucos and Avani Patel, airborne together on a tennis court, intended to give each other a five high before beginning their descent a couple of seasons ago.

They … whiffed.

And returned to earth, laughing and a tad embarrassed.

“Yes, we did miss sometimes, while we were up there,” Patel, a senior, recalled after Saturday's quad on the home courts. “But not lately.”

Added Chibucos, also a senior: “We had some ugly landings, too.”

Their results, on Saturday: gorgeous.

Chibucos/Patel, state doubles qualifiers a year ago, won all three of their matches – two at No. 1 doubles, one at No. 2 – as Warren went 3-0 in duals.

The Blue Devils beat St. Charles North, Antioch and Machesney Park Harlem by a combined 17-1 in brisk, sunny Gurnee.

St. Charles North swung to a 2-1 mark, with its lone setback a 5-1 decision at the rackets of Warren. Antioch finished 1-2.

Chibucos/Patel got tested early, surviving North's Kate Lesswing/Ashley Randazzo 2-6, 6-2 (10-8 super tie-break) in Round 1. The Warren tandem trailed 8-5 in the super tie-break.

“It was challenging, pretty intense,” said Chibucos. “They didn't miss much.”

What Blue Devils coach Vince DeSecki will miss next fall: his current doubles players, all of them.

Each is a senior.

“What a great group,” he said, alluding to Chibucos/Patel, Jenna Westerberg/Brittney Sunday, Nicole Nelson/Nicole Suchsland, Melissa Foster/Taylor Boyke and Megan Griffin/Hailey VanStralen.

“Awesome kids, in academics and in tennis,” he added. “The void next year … we're going to feel it, no doubt. It's a very competitive class, very athletic.”

Youth, for Warren, serves well at singles. Sisters Max Mella, a sophomore, and Alex Mella, a freshman, have shared time at No. 1 singles this fall. Max won the max – three matches – while Alex batted .667 on Saturday. Alex Mella, poised and smooth from the baseline, went 2-1; she bowed 6-3, 6-0 to St. Charles North junior Brittany Plaszewski at No. 1.

“She's fast, and she hits nice angle shots,” Alex said of the North Star.

Moments before Plaszewski whacked more geometric winners, in her final match at Warren's O'Plaine campus, St. Charles North coach Eve Tubman stood near a court fence.

And gushed.

“She has it all … nice serve, very steady, very smart,” Tubman said. “Just watch her play. My team — it's great, a bunch of nice girls. They take tennis seriously, as well as their studies.

“They're low maintenance,” she added.

Antioch's Sequoits, meanwhile, deserve high marks for wearing eye-yanking tennis garb. You couldn't miss them on Saturday – even from a spot, hundreds of yards away from the courts.

They wore blindingly bright yellow/lime-greenish sweatshirts.

Anything neon vs. Antioch's sweatshirts, in a Garish Bowl?

Sweatshirts … in a rout.

“They wanted a color that was close to the color of a tennis ball,” said first-year Sequoits coach Neil Lesinski, a 2005 Grayslake Community High School grad who opted to don Antioch-cardinal sweatpants on Saturday. “I was told it's a construction-green color, the kind of bright color a construction worker wears while working near roads.

“I guess you could say,” the former Western Illinois University netter added, “that's my crew out there, playing and moving around and building toward wins, point by point.”

Each of Antioch's wins in its 4-2 defeat of Harlem came in doubles: Krystin Donovan/Lily Herout (No. 1), Ruth Keeling/Alyssa Sheppard (No. 2), Melissa Donovan/Katie Brost (No. 3) and Sarah Mueha/Sara Petty (No. 4).

Erin Hanson and freshman Maddie Brost battled in singles for Antioch.

Mundelein cruises at Wheeling: It was supposed to be a quad.

It got trimmed to a trio.

Only three tennis teams competed Saturday at Wheeling, because Elk Grove had to play a Mid-Suburban League East make-up dual.

Mundelein won a pair of 5-0 duals on Saturday, topping the hosts and Maine West's Warriors. Ari Dechter (No. 1 singles), Ali MacDonald (No. 2) and Sara Jump (No. 3) didn't drop a set. In doubles, Mundelein's Lucy Cai/Tori Alms (No. 1) won a pair of straight-setters, while Mustangs Mary Breeden/Kelly McCauley went 2-0 at No. 2.

The North Suburban Conference Meet starts Thursday and concludes Friday. Lakes, Antioch and Grant high schools will serve as hosts.